Hello
Hey AoS peeps.
My name is Jason. In my 50s… just.
I rediscovered my stereo the year before last when I moved it from the living room to my home studio (design and coding not music, unfortunately). No longer interrupted by family I could now listen to what I want, all day.
My system at that point consisted of:
Pro-ject P1 (serial number of 2) with Ortofon OM10
NAD 1130 pre
NAD 2055 power
Wharfdale CRS-3
This was as it had been since 1993/4
As I was now actually listening to it I decided to extend formats:
NAD C521 CD
Then:
NAD 613 Tape
I was deeply unimpressed with streaming Apple Music through Airplay so:
Raspberry Pie with HIFIBerry DAC Plus
Followed by subscriptions to:
Qobuz or Tidal (which ever was bundling free months).
You may have guessed at this point that I'm not a wealthy fellow.
My attention has turned (excuse the pun) to my record player. I looked into upgrading what I'd got… new platter, different arm and also scoured the internet for alternatives. I saw various posts regarding upgraded Lenco 75s. My father had a 75 and I'd always considered them as proper HiFi. I'm relatively handy with tools and love a project so the possibility of getting great performance for a lot less money and a fun project to boot was very tempting. I scoured Lencoheaven for information, tips and tricks whilst I familiarised myself with prices on eBay. I then came across a Collaro 2010. What I later learned was one of the 'heavy' Collaro turntables due to its 8.5lb platter. I liked it and after further research on I liked it even more. I didn't win that one but did win a Collaro 4T 200 which was the improved successor of the 2010. I say one… it was only a month or 2 before I had 2. Then I saw a Lenco GL59 'serviced' for £50… Yup got that one too. Later to figure out the L70 arm had been butchered to fit a L75 head shell. I've since also added a Collaro 4TR 200 (motor unit only). These are, as yet, still projects.
Speakers… the Wharfdales are a great start, or were in the mid-eighties. And my life has certainly changed since my student days. Settled down with a relatively big house I could entertain proper floor-standing wonders. My wallet… not so much. It was going to be vintage again. My neighbour was offloading some Kenwood KL-555Ds (I know). On paper they sounded fantastic: 20-20000hz, 98db, 150w. In forum posts they were, however, eviscerated. Not to say they didn't have their fans. This pair had a modern after-market crossover so I thought it would be worth a punt. They were horrible… but I did catch a glimpse of something I liked. I pursued… ran them in and the bass freed up considerably. Some L-pads tamed the HF. They were now quite listenable and better than the Wharfdales so I was going in the right direction. I had alerts out on Mission, Goodmans, Wharfdale and Celestion among others when I came across a very old pair. All it said was EMI Speakers but I was in love. They sold and I felt the loss so when they came back on the market I jumped. Turns out they're EMI 9206 rare UK analogue to the EMI/Scope DLS-529. They had replacement bass/mid drivers but came with the original and another pair both sets of which had a faulty voice coil. There's bugger all out there on these so I still needed a reference fortunately a cheeky starting bid I placed on a pair of Mordaunt Short MS400s came to pass. Even without the correct 92390 drivers the 9206 was head and shoulders better than the MS400s. They are lacking in the higher midrange. I have a pair of 92390CM which I will fit soon and I'm keeping an eye out for replacement drivers. Meanwhile there is a place in Belgium that will repair the voice coils.
I came into a little money and I wasn't comfortable driving the 9206 on my NAD amps. Particularly as the power amp had developed an intermittent fault which meant the protection relays would cut in occasionally. The 9206 was voiced for EL34 valves so I started looking for a valve amp. I found a selection and a local (well respected) specialist: Servicesound. After pestering him a few times he offered me an amp he'd rebuilt to his own design out of an Audio Innovations S700. I went for an audition and it sounded great pushing B&W 804S with a surprisingly strong deep and controlled bass. I bought it… it was a no brainer. A newly completed amp from a respected specialist with 6 months warranty, a Chinese amp of indeterminate quality or vintage with every possible problem under the sun.
To-do list
Plinth Collaros and Lenco. Get 92390BV voice coil fixed and reinstall them in 9206.
TL;DR
Late starter, without much money, who likes to piss about.
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